January 9, 2026

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira, in a street speech urgently held near Tokyo’s Ikebukuro Station on January 8, condemned the U.S. Trump administration’s military operation that kidnapped Venezuelan President Maduro and his wife. He said, “Let us raise our voices, together with people around the world, declaring that we will never tolerate any move aiming for the return to a world ruled by force.” He also criticized the Takaichi administration for failing to lodge an objection against the U.S. invasion.

Koike stressed the significance of the international order which was built based on the UN Charter and international law by putting sovereign equality and the prohibition of the use of force as core principles. He pointed out that the JCP has severely criticized the Maduro regime’s conduct of repression against opposition forces and called for the restoration of democracy in Venezuela. He said that although President Maduro is a tyrannous leader, it is unacceptable to dislodge a sovereign country’s leader by force, which constitutes an invasion trampling on the UN Charter and international law. He demanded that the U.S. government release the president of Venezuela and the First Lady of Venezuela and bring an end to any invasion plans without delay.

Koike pointed out that President Trump, while showing no interest in establishing an international order, expressed his intent to control Venezuela’s oil, the world’s largest proven reserves. The JCP Secretariat Head criticized President Trump for not hesitating to expand the U.S. national interest even by forcibly removing a government leader who he dislikes, adding, “Trump’s actions are a revival of imperialism.” Koike warned that if an attempt to change the status quo by lawless military actions is tolerated, this will turn the world into one controlled by the law of the jungle (which translated into “might makes right”).

Koike pointed out that the Trump administration’s invasion of Venezuela has come under fire from the UN, the EU, multiple Latin American countries, and from U.S. parliamentarians. He said that despite this, the Japanese government led by Prime Minister Takaichi has not voiced any objections. He stressed, “The Takaichi government regards the Japan-U.S. alliance as absolute and seeks to follow the ‘America First’ Trump regime no matter what happens, which is extremely dangerous. Now is the time to put an end to Japan’s foreign policy subservience to the United States.”

Past related article:
> US under Trump aiming for colonial rule over Venezuela [January 5, 2026]